What’s A-Rod going to be good for, come 2013 – maybe 130 games played, 25 homers and a .260 batting average? Almost everyone thinks Jeter will be toast by 2013. How about CC – will all those innings start to show up come 2013 – like the knee surgery he needed after last year? Teixeira will be 33-years old in 2013 and starting towards the back-end of his career. And, don’t even get me started about A.J. Burnett.

And, now, the Yankees want to add Cliff Lee to this mix – at huge dollars? Lee will be 34-years old in 2013.

Granted, sure, look at Andy Pettitte. He aged well. Ditto Mariano Rivera – and, to an extent, Jorge Posada. So, maybe this will all work out for the Yankees? But, for sure, I wouldn’t bet any money on it.

Yes, the Yankees will be burdened with some bad deals in 2013, which is one reason why I so strongly opposed the Jeter deal. And no one here has ever defended the A-Rod contract. Fortunately, 2013 appears to tbe the worst, because Burnett’s contract will be up after that season, and Jeter’s after the next.

On the other hand, the Yankees seem to have taken on a commitment to try to wring another championship (and hopefully more) from the current core group of aging stars. Given that objective, Lee makes sense as the option most likely to yield the desired outcome — an outstanding pitcher who has proven himself in the post-season.

The team has decided to pay the price down the road, in 2013 and possibly in the following two or three years. There will be a mismatch by then between pay and performance, as the bigger contributors earn less and the older players become overpaid relative to their current performance. But that is an inevitable consequence of the determination not to go through a rebuilding phase, the reluctance to gamble too much too soon on the up-and-coming talent (Montero, Romine, the Killer Bs), and the failure to sustain a talent flow into the organization in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

If –and it is a big “if” — the organization finally starts to harvest its home-grown talent (either in pinstripes or as trade fodder), then the model changes. The team would rely on young talent to carry the weight, while the aging players such as C.C., Lee, A-Rod, and Tex slide into lesser roles.

If –and it is a big “if” — the organization finally starts to harvest its home-grown talent (either in pinstripes or as trade fodder), then the model changes. The team would rely on young talent to carry the weight, while the aging players such as C.C., Lee, A-Rod, and Tex slide into lesser roles

Why is this a big IF? The Yanks are pretty much doing this now. They have a bunch of expensive veterans and also some very good cheap younguns right now. With all the talent in the minors pitching and catching wise there’s no reason this shouldnt continue. Is it that crazy to think we could have a stud Catcher in Montero, a very good pitcher in Hughes and one or more of the Killer B’s on the team in 2013?

It is a big “if” because the young talent has yet to prove anything. So, although it isn’t crazy to believe Montero and the others might emerge as stars, it also is no sure thing. We have all seen hyped prospects disappoint. Or become solid major leaguers who don’t rise to star level — the category in which I would put Hughes.

It’s designed to keep top young players with their teams for at least the first 6 years of their careers.

By the time they establish themselves as reliable, highly-productive, healthy players, in most cases, they’re already 28, 29, 30.

Then, if you want them to join your team, you’ve got to pay top of the market in both $$$ and years.

Therefore, if you want to sign free agents, and you want only top free agents (and you do, because mid-market and low end free agents flop more often than top of the market free agents do), you have to give them lots of money for lots of years.

Inherent in this is the idea that they’re likely to be in decline by the back end of the deal, and therefore, not worth what you’re paying them at that time What you hope is that they help you win a title or two before then.

So you have two choices, and ONLY two: pay Lee what he wants for the years that he wants, and accept the fact that he will be declining at some point in the deal, and that you’re going to overpaying at that point, or…

Don’t sign Cliff Lee, and play without him. In this case, that means a rotation of CC-Andy-AJ-Hughes-Nova. And take your chances.

There ain’t no free lunch. You want relative certainty of performance, you have to pay for it.

It is a big “if” because the young talent has yet to prove anything. So, although it isn’t crazy to believe Montero and the others might emerge as stars, it also is no sure thing. We have all seen hyped prospects disappoint. Or become solid major leaguers who don’t rise to star level — the category in which I would put Hughes.

First Hughes: Its still to early to tell if Phil will become a star. The boy had a damn good season and could definitely get better.

Now I agree the current minor leaguer players have yet to prove themselves, but lets not discount the fact that we have some good quality youngsters playing great NOW. Gardner was great last year, Robertson has been really good at times, as has Joba, and now the Yankees of all people have arguably the best minor leaguer overall in Montero. Yes, Montero hasnt done crap yet, but its pretty impressive the Yanks even have (Maybe) a stud like him or the Killer B’s.

Who cares what the Yankees payroll is? Its not my money. The only people who have the right to complain about the Yankees payroll are the Steinbrenners.

The only reason Yankee fans have to complain about the Yankees payroll is if they cant take the criticism from the fans of other teams who complain about the Yankee payroll. If it means the Yankees win the World Series, Spend 300 million dollars.